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| US Anglicans reject gay bishops | |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Leaders of the Episcopal Church in the United States have agreed to halt the selection of gay priests as bishops to prevent a split in the Anglican Church. | |
| The Church will also no longer approve prayers to bless same-sex couples. | The Church will also no longer approve prayers to bless same-sex couples. |
| Many African Anglicans threatened to leave the worldwide Anglican Communion after the ordination of the first openly gay bishop four years ago. | Many African Anglicans threatened to leave the worldwide Anglican Communion after the ordination of the first openly gay bishop four years ago. |
| The American Church was told to meet the conditions by 30 September or lose membership of the communion. | The American Church was told to meet the conditions by 30 September or lose membership of the communion. |
| US bishops made the decision after a six-day meeting in New Orleans. | US bishops made the decision after a six-day meeting in New Orleans. |
| The meeting was attended in part by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, who urged the Episcopal Church to make concessions for the sake of unity. | The meeting was attended in part by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, who urged the Episcopal Church to make concessions for the sake of unity. |
| The Episcopal Church is the American wing of the Anglican Communion, which has 77 million members worldwide. | The Episcopal Church is the American wing of the Anglican Communion, which has 77 million members worldwide. |
| Plea for unity | Plea for unity |
| The BBC's religious affairs correspondent, Robert Pigott, says the agreement will help defuse the crisis triggered by the US Church's consecration of an openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson, in 2003. | The BBC's religious affairs correspondent, Robert Pigott, says the agreement will help defuse the crisis triggered by the US Church's consecration of an openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson, in 2003. |
| But traditionalists in the US are already making plans to set up their own independent Church. | But traditionalists in the US are already making plans to set up their own independent Church. |
| Conservative churchgoers believe homosexuality is contrary to the Church's teachings. | Conservative churchgoers believe homosexuality is contrary to the Church's teachings. |
| However, liberal Anglicans have argued that biblical teachings on justice and inclusion should take precedence. | However, liberal Anglicans have argued that biblical teachings on justice and inclusion should take precedence. |
| The Episcopal bishops did reaffirm their commitment to the civil rights of gay people and said they opposed any violence towards them or violation of their dignity. | The Episcopal bishops did reaffirm their commitment to the civil rights of gay people and said they opposed any violence towards them or violation of their dignity. |
| The meeting in New Orleans follows a summit of Anglican leaders in Tanzania earlier in the year which gave the US Episcopal Church a deadline of 30 September to define its position on the issue. | The meeting in New Orleans follows a summit of Anglican leaders in Tanzania earlier in the year which gave the US Episcopal Church a deadline of 30 September to define its position on the issue. |
| The leaders threatened that a failure to do so would leave their relationship with the US branch of Anglicanism "damaged at best". | The leaders threatened that a failure to do so would leave their relationship with the US branch of Anglicanism "damaged at best". |